please, ladies and gentlemen, welcome paul ryan. [applause] >> that was pretty good. i'll take you bow hunting someday. [laughter] hey, thanks, everybody. [applause] that's great. thanks so much. appreciate it. well, i can say about that introduction, that was the, um, most recent introduction i've ever received. [laughter] thanks, rich, i appreciate it. you know, i'm happy to see so many friends here in the audience. i just see a lot of familiar faces. and i'm honored to speak to so many distinguished guests. you know, you could say that perhaps this is the greatest collection of conservative talent ever gathered in one room with the possible exception of when the last time william f. buckley dined alone. [laughter] look, hail to "national review." i started reading buckley in college when my economics professor gave me a copy of "national review," and i've been reading it ever since. the masthead has changed. when i came to washington, many of the people writing were just starting out. they were landing their first jobs, they were writers and editors. rich lowry was